The present invention is related to the technology of preparation of a delicacy granular food product, similar to black caviar, and to the device for preparing in the product. The invention can be used in the food-processing industry, in particular for preparation of dietary food.
Methods and devices for preparation of alimentary granular caviar are known based on the technology of thermostatic control of a solution of the components of caviar, preparation of a mixture for forming the grains by pressing the components through a die under pressure into hot vegetable oil, separation of the grains from the oil, washing, drying, and subsequent processing for improvement of flavor and appearance through coloring and packing.
The method of obtaining alimentary caviar based on the preparation of a mixture containing eggs, fish homogenate, food dye, and salt, forming the grains in oil, and their culinary processing, coloring and packing is also known. The carbon medical absorbent CKT-6A is used as a dyestuff in a quantity of 4-9 weight % to the weight of the mixture for forming grains, after salt has been previously mixed with the dye-stuff (Patent of Russian Federation No. 2002432, A23L, 1/328, publication 15.11.93).
The disadvantage of the known method is that a significant quantity of grains differing from standard size are obtained, requiring sieving of the caviar, leading to reduction of the quantity of the on-the-shelf product. Further, the product has insufficient dietary and nutritional properties because of the use of eggs as one of the main components in the mixture used to form the grains. Use of a carbon medical sorbent in a quantity of nearly 9 weight % of the product limits the application of the on-the-shelf product, as it cannot be used widely as a food product: when even a single portion of 10 g caviar is eaten, a person eats 0.9 g of carbon sorbent, which corresponds to four medical tablets containing 0.25 g, the single preventive medical dose. The regular use of a carbon sorbent in such quantities is not recommended, as it is not metabolized, and it adsorbs useful compounds (hormones, vitamins) and some microorganisms.
Obtaining a delicacy granular product, similar to the caviar of sturgeon fishes, is also known, including the preparation of an albuminous mixture from eggs, gustatory components, salt and dye-stuff, forming capsules by pressing the mixture under pressure into vegetable oil heated at 82-88xc2x0 C., separating the capsules from the oil, washing the emulsion and subsequently separating the capsules from the emulsion and processing the salt emulsion from the fish components and salt. An alimentary black dye-stuff, prepared from an extract of tea and FeCl3 is used as coloring. The eggs are blended into the forming mixture as a mixture of the whites and yokes in a ratio of 10:1 to 4:1. A yeasty extract and alimentary fats are used for gustatory and aromatic processing. The water emulsion consisting of the egg white and salt is washed. (Patent USSR NO. 1837801, A23L, 1/328, publication 30.08.93).
The disadvantage of the method is that a significant quantity of grains deviating from standard size are obtained. It is believed that the irregularity of the grains is due to crushing at the time the grains are introduced into hot vegetable oil, when the crumbs are for some time in random (unregulated) motion at high temperature (80-90xc2x0 C.), promoting change in the shape and size of the grains. Use of eggs as a base component in forming the mixture is a negative factor in the nutritional properties of the product. Use of FeCl3 as a dye-stuff also reduces the organoleptic properties of the product.
Methods of forming grains and a device for obtaining alimentary granular caviar are known based on the technology of preparing a mixture containing eggs, fish homogenate, food dye-stuff and salt, supplying gauged jets of the product into vegetable oil at a temperature of 86-90xc2x0 C., separating the grains from the oil, flushing with water, processing the gustatory emulsion, coloring, and subsequent packing of the on-the-shelf product. Alimentary black dye-stuff obtained from an extract of tea and FeCl3 at pH 1.8-2.2 is used as coloring. The device for implementation of the method includes a cavity for initial dissolution of the components, outlet tubes with forming heads at the ends, a source of gas pressure connected to the cavity when the components are dissolved, a cylindrical granulating cavity for formation of grains of caviar, a nipple for draining excess liquid installed axially to the cavity for initial dissolution of components in front of the outlet pipes, water jackets around the cavity and the cylindrical part of granulating cavity for thermostatic control of the cavities, and a receptacle at the bottom of the granulating cavity for accumulation of the on-the shelf products (Auth. Cert. USSR No. 1782523, A23L, 1/328, publication 23.12.92).
The disadvantage of the technology is the unstable regime when forming the grains, leading to a significant amount of defective product. A device for manufacture of fish caviar was described in Japan No. 60-52795, 1985. The device consists of a unit for forming the drops of product including the droppers for feeding the special water solution (sole) and a stepped cavity with solution of gel-forming agent with an outlet aperture, where the grains of product are formed; the device is equipped with a unit for separating the grains from the forming liquid, washing, and drying. The deficiency of this device is its lower productive capacity caused by the small cross-section of the dropper channels (0.1-0.2 mm), the low output of the droppers and the low rate of feeding the special water solution to the solution of gel-forming agent.
Devices for the manufacture of imitation grain caviar are known (USSR Certificates No. 276725, 1970, No. 1732507, 1989, patent of RF No. 2029479, 1995). The deficiency of most of these devices is their low productive capacity and the unstable condition during formation of the grains, leading to defective product. In the device of the patent of RF No. 2029479, non-stable operation is causedxe2x80x94on the one handxe2x80x94by the steady changing of pressure in the outlet apertures while the level of the solution in the cavity declines and by the various trajectories and the character of movement of the grain particles. Thus, defective product is produced in great quantities, because the upper warmed layer of forming liquid (vegetable oil) is mixed by the mechanical mixer and is intensively intermixed with the cold portion of the forming liquid without a clear boundary between the warm and cold regions, so that the process of intermixing of the forming liquid is of chaotic character. Further, if the process of the manufacturing the caviar is performed at a temperature of +15xc2x0 C.-to +40xc2x0 C., contact with bacterial media in the air causes contamination of the product with pathogenic microflora, leading to a limited validity period of the product.
Thus, all of the above methods and devices for preparation of alimentary granular caviar have some common disadvantages:
1. Obtaining a significant amount of grains deviating from standard size and shape, requiring sieving of the grains, reducing the useful output of the on-the-shelf product;
2. Insufficient organoleptic and nutritional properties because of the use of eggs in preparation of the caviar: the eggs may cause an alimentary allergy in some people;
3. Insufficient ecological cleanness and low-level quality of the product because of use of chemical components for coloring.
The purpose of the present method and device is the production of grains with a standard size, with limited output of defective grains, obtaining a product with higher dietary organoleptic and ecological properties, and lowering the contamination of the product by pathogenic bacteria during the production of caviar.
The purpose is achieved by using a new technology for preparation of a mixture for formation of caviar grains, which includes an albuminous colloidal solution, alimentary gelatin and water, tannic material (water extract of tea), dye-stuff, salt solution and gustatory components (for example, emulsion from fish components, salt and water). Production of caviar grains is achieved by supplying the mixture for grain formation under pressure to the cavity through gauged channels into heated vegetable oil, separation and washdown of the grains from the oil, tanning of the grains in the tea extract for a minimum of 30 minutes, rinsing with water after rinsing the grains with salt solution, introducing a gustatory component of not less than 10% of the weight of the product, mixing the caviar grains with the gustatory component (taste dressing), and packing of the on-the-shelf product.
The basic difference of the present method is the use in the colloidal solution of: soy milk, foremilk of mammals, or a mixture of these components in a ratio of 20:1 to 1:20; a mixture of cow/soy milk in the ratio of 20:1 to 1:20; or whey of soy/cow milk.
The albuminous colloidal solution is mixed with alimentary gelatin and water in a ratio of (7-10):1:(3-5). Extract from the rind of green walnuts is used as dyestuff. Processing is achieved by immersing the grains into the extract of this dye-stuff for a maximum of 3 minutes.
The mixture for formation of caviar grains additionally contains starch in the amount of 1-3 weight %.
After each rinsing, moisture is removed by processing of the grains for 15-20 minutes with air with a humidity of no more than 10 mass % at a temperature not exceeding 15xc2x0 C.
Thereafter, the caviar grains are poured into the salt solution and maintained there for 15-20 minutes. The salt water is then poured off. The caviar grains are then mixed with the gustatory component (taste dressing) for a minimum of 20 minutes.
The taste dressing is prepared by cleaning salt herring of heads, tails, and bones and grinding the herring in a grinder to form a homogenate. The homogenate is centrifuged, and the liquid fraction (cod-liver oil, water, and salt) is separated from the dense fraction (sediment) to give a clear liquid, the water-oil emulsion. The water-oil emulsion is used as the taste dressing. Linseed oil can be used as an alternative taste dressing.
The product is then placed onto a sieve, and the excess taste dressing is removed over a time period of 5-10 minutes.
The device for the preparation of alimentary soft granular caviar includes a cavity with the basic solution of components introduced through output pipes with stream-forming heads at the ends; a source of gas pressure connected to the cavity; a cylindrical granulating cavity for forming the grains, piping for pouring off the excess forming liquid, installed axially to the cavity with the basic solution of components in front of the outlet pipes; thermostatic jackets around the cavity with the basic solution of components and the granulating cavity; and a receptacle for accumulation of produced grains in the lower part of the granulating cavity.
The main difference in the device from the previous devices is in providing a compressor for supplying impulse gas to the granulating cavity, where the exhaust pipes are connected to the compressor, and where the open ends of these exhaust pipes are located in the upper part of the granulating cavity in front of the outlet pipes, pointing horizontally toward the center of the granulating cavity, where the upper part of the granulating cavity has the shape of a funnel. A heating element is placed around the funnel-shaped portion of the granulating cavity, and the heating element is connected to a control unit.
The source of gas pressure contains sterile gas, for instance carbon dioxide.
The suction pipe of the compressor for the impulse supply of gas is connected to the source of the sterile gas.
The thermostatic elements for thermal control of the cavity with basic solution and of the granulating cavity are water jackets which cover the cavities.
The objects of the invention are given below in relation to the figures which reveal the basic claims of the offered invention.